


Oath

by Chosca



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Angst, Constructed Reality, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 22:41:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7408045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chosca/pseuds/Chosca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Link always listens to the Wheel, but he doesn't take it as seriously as Rhett. Maybe he should start.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oath

Link clears his throat, throwing up a spontaneous peace sign. "You know what time it is."

Rhett slides back in his chair, dragging the metal legs heavily across the floor as he went. It makes a sound Link always flinches at. Unaware of the reaction, Rhett smirks, leaning to his left. "A caterpillar would totally be faster."

"We are _not_ discussing this further."

Only because I'm right, concludes Rhett, finding all the self control he can muster not to say it aloud. When Eddie cuts the video up post production, people'd notice the shift in mood after the Wheel of Mythicality announcement video plays. Despite their acting abilities, Link could be a real grump if Rhett pissed him off to the right extent (which was, admittedly, often).

"Remember what our mugs look like?" Rhett asks the camera, lifting his coffee and displaying the logo. He squints, amused, as he takes a sip. "They're still for sale."

"I remember them," Link says, glancing distantly at his own. He pushes the wheel routinely into position and gives it a powerful spin. "Rhett and Link dot com slash store. Slash...mug."

"If that's how it works," Rhett mumbles, quirking the corner of his mouth up. "I don't know, _I've_ never bought one, never been to that website."

Link turns toward the camera so it can witness the eye roll. Rhett's seen enough of that in his lifetime, so he peers at the wheel as it clicks to a stop.

"Click through to Good Mythical More, when we talk about more science. Because that's what we do. On this show, at least."

"Rhett...kisses-"

Rhett's lips purse, the crew cackling softly behind the camera when he turns his dark, hooded eyes on them. Link mirrors him almost identically.

"...Link." he says through a locked jaw.

Rhett bends to adjust his seat, much to Link's distress. "What?"

Rhett pauses to watch him for a moment. "The wheel said-"

"I know what the wheel said, you loser," Link retorts, "What- d'ya-do you want a punch in the _face_?"

"Whoa now. It doesn't go that far."

Link ignores him. "I think I'd rather choke my own brains out than kiss..no, even _think_ about kissing you!"

Rhett smirks briefly at the camera. What was at first an awkward thing, turned out to be rather amusing apparently. Link's face is pink, eyes wide and wary. Usually, Link in this condition triggered a kind of...defensive panic in Rhett.

But this, in perspective, was harmless. They'd kissed before...Rhett frowns subtly - technically, through plexiglass -  and Link was very much the same perplexed visual afterwards as he is now.

"In...in my defence here I'm happily married," Rhett laughs, gesturing towards the camera as he speaks to it. "Plus we've known each other our _whole lives_ , I mean."

Link's face is remarkably exasperated as Rhett continues.

"Can't be as hard as...eating pig anus. Link, we've eaten PIG anus. And I promise I brushed my teeth after."

Link seems to reach maximum blush after each word, but it just keeps worsening. At this point he looks as though he may explode. Rhett has the urge to check his temperature. Something in his best friend's eyes is pleading, something along the lines of  _'are we gonna fake it? do you have the plexiglass? you're acting, right??'_

"Don't back out on me now," Rhett chuckles, attempting to break Link. This is supposed to be funny. It's the funny part.

"Pretend...pretend like I'm Amber back in school and we just had our third date. It's time for the first kiss. Remember when you couldn't do it? Redeem yourself man!"

Link bows his head, a petrified smile curling his lips.

It's at this point that Rhett begins to panic.

_No, no we've gone too far. Back pedal. Maybe we can reshoot the wheel ending and forget this ever happened._

In the midst of his fright he misses Link's movement, confusing himself when he sees glasses on the table.

"Get it over with. At least it- I'm just glad it doesn't say makeout."

Link laughs, the fear bubbling up and out of his throat. Okay, this was real stupid. Glancing back he can see the crew; it was debatable whether or not they were worried or waiting to see if they were actually going to do it.

"No tongue, now."

Link just about refrains from responding to that. "Dude, I'm barely going near your lips. Like...a feather touch!"

It's clear how frazzled they've become by their choice of words alone.

Rhett acts, balling his hands into fists and making zero effort to stop his body from leaning forward.

To his absolute shock, and a little confusion, _Link_ is the one that holds Rhett's face. Even though...he'd been so nervous.

Feather touch, ironically, would be putting it lightly. Due to lack of knowledge regarding the other's method, they accomplish less of a connection and more of a collision. Their lips press against each other all the same, but they sit at a weird angle.

They start to notice the soft texture of each other's lips. The feeling...is unnatural. Safe to say, as they'd been kissing the same person for the last decade or so.

Two seconds pass, and Rhett doesn't move yet.

But neither does Link.

Their curiosity ambushes them. Without a doubt, there are a very little amount of things in the world Rhett and Link are scared of trying. From the start, when ideas and questions begin to flow freely, it only drags them deeper in from there. It's how they got _here_ in the first place.

_So. This is what it's like._

When their lips part they continue, altering the position of their heads so as to experience it properly. The correction settles the part of Link's fear associated with general comfort. The hair on his nape prickles with the shivers he experiences there, and he knows Rhett can feel it.

And that's only because his large hands have found their way to his neck. Link expected this subconsciously; Rhett does this with Jesse.

Just as he wraps his arms around Christy...except. The soft, yet sturdy, warmth of Rhett's torso is much different, and Link can only describe it as safe.

Sometimes he remembers how _big_ Rhett is, and when he does, an air of coziness is always there to greet him.

Oh.

The calm washes over him like the gentle Californian waves they surf at dawn. Rhett shortly follows, the clammy palms of his hands relaxing on Link's neck as he voluntarily parts his mouth again. Their plush lips quietly sound between them in the dead of the silence that neither of them seem to notice.

_Nobody can hurt you, because you have him. He's here, protecting you, like he always has._

Rhett feels Link inching closer, and there he is, heartbeat and all, feeling as though they had finally reached a goal they hadn't quite been aware of. Or, at least...not acknowledged.

Link's eyelashes flutter against his cheeks. Facing the reality of kissing Rhett, _Rhett...his best friend,_ shakes him up more than he's prepared for.

Who's he kidding, he wasn't prepared for any of this.

Link's eyes open completely, but instead of yanking away, his lips tenderly part one more time. It's now that he slowly moves back, blinking as though an epiphany was hitting him over and over.

Rhett smiles, of all the things to do. He lets his mind clear itself of the confusion and cloudiness. No matter what he wants, or doesn't want, he has to return to reality sometime.

"Ahem. Ah, ahem."

Rhett's head turns so fast Link fears whiplash. Eyes, fewer than the usual work day, but observational all the same.

"Should we leave you two alone?" Stevie whispers.

It's probably just to makes things less uneasy, which Link is grateful for. His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows hard. _Gosh, when did it get so damn quiet?_

Thankfully, good hearted chuckles ripple throughout the room. The least their bosses can do is let go of each other, for Christ sake.

"I'm actually kind of victorious," Mike admits, laughing. "I didn't think you guys would do it. That, _and_  Alex owes me 50."

"Loved the drama," Stevie laughs. "Some rain and lighting and we've got a blockbuster on our hands."

Rhett stretches, itching his hip unnecessarily for something his hands can do while he thinks of an escape plan. After his best convincing chuckle, Link talks.

"Yeah, imagine the gifs. The..YouTube scandal. Y'know we can't put that in there cause of that."

"Keemstar's hay day," adds Rhett, brushing the table with his palm, "A juicy story to return to the Internet with. Yeah, ahhh. Best not."

After the crew agrees with them, Rhett declares a break. It's rare he's ever this flabbergasted, and though anyone else wouldn't have noticed, Link can tell.

He's a little concerned with his own problems to check, though. Unsurprisingly, he takes off in the opposite direction.

They'd revisit...if it hadn't been so difficult...to imagine. What was going to happen?

Link can hear distant yelling.

He isn't outside. Didn't he run though? He can hear cars now. Cars...inside? Rhett used to have a matchbox Ferrari.

Suddenly, his mouth shuts. He hadn't realised it was open. Does he always keep it open? He knows he does when he's asleep, Rhett tells him all the freaking time.

Gosh, his head's pounding. Literally, someone is knocking on the wall of his skull. A woodpecker. He had no idea his skull was made of wood. Maybe his whole skeleton is made of wood. Rhett likes wood. Maybe Rhett likes him, too.

He's gotta, right?

_I'm here, it's okay. It's okay, I'm here. They can't hurt you. Of course I promise. You promised too, remember?_

_I know you lost it...but you'll never lose me. And I'll never lose you._

"Link!!"

Someone's in trouble, Link realises, mouth suddenly rather dry again. When did he open it again?

When he shuts his mouth again, his eyes open to the sight of the pale ceiling above him. Faint scratches at his bedroom door come into focus, and as well as the pain of his yearning.

 

He doesn't go back to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> ;P thanks for reading everyone. I love the smell of self inflicted rhink anguish in the morning.


End file.
